Will 'Race to the Top' Leave No Child Behind?

Making News

The Bombs That Didn't Explode in Baghdad ()

Iraqi officials say that widespread raids in Baghdad have uncovered a plot to bomb government ministries and conduct political assassinations. Liz Sly is Baghdad Bureau Chief for the Los Angeles Times.

Guests:

• Liz Sly: Baghdad Bureau Chief, Los Angeles Times, @lizsly

Main Topic

Will 'Race to the Top' Leave No Child Behind? ()

George W. Bush proposed "No Child Left Behind" in 2001, and it passed with the support of many Democrats, most prominently the late Senator Edward Kennedy.  The idea was to set high standards and measure student performance with standardized tests so that teachers and schools could be held accountable. It's still the law, but many provisions have become controversial. Now the Obama Administration has created "Race to the Top." Instead of punishing failing schools, it sets up a $4.3 billion competition for schools to succeed. States are vying to establish charter schools and require standardized tests to evaluate student progress and teacher performance. Do those reforms really work? Will Race to the Top improve existing law or perpetuate its failings?

Guests:

• Peter Cunningham: Assistant Secretary for Communications, US Department of Education
• Richard Rothstein: Research Associate, Economic Policy Institute
• Gavin Payne: Chief Deputy, California State Superintendent of Education
• David Hecker: Head, American Federation of Teachers's Michigan chapter

Links:

• National Assessment of Educational Progress
• AFT President Randi Weingarten on new approaches to teacher evaluation
• Rothstein's 'Grading Education: Getting Accountability Right'
• California Superintendent of Education on 'Race to the Top' bills, education reform

Reporter's Notebook

Possible Manslaughter Defense in Abortion Killer's Trial ()

What looked like the straightforward trial in Wichita, Kansas has been thrown into chaos by a judge's ruling. Scott Roeder confessed to shooting Dr. George Tiller to death in a crowded church last year. Tiller was known to perform late-term abortions. Last week, Judge Warren Wilbert said Roeder's defense could argue that he committed manslaughter, rather than first-degree murder because he believed he was saving the lives of innocent children. Leonard Zeskind is president of the Institute for Research & Education on Human Rights.

Guests:

• Leonard Zeskind: President, Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights

Links:

• Zeskind on understanding the Roeder trial